Response of goats to dietary replacement of cottonseed cake with wet distillers grain with solubles on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and economics

AbstractThis study was conducted on eighteen growing goats with an average body weight of 10.82±0.45 kg with the objective to evaluate the response of goats to dietary replacement of cottonseed cake (CSC) with wet distillers grain with solubles (WDGS). The goats were randomly divided into three groups with uniform body weight and sex ratio. The concentrate mixture containing CSC was fed to control group (A). In treatment groups (B and C), the CSC was replaced with WDGS at 50% and 100%, respectively, for 90 days on iso-nitrogenous basis. The average fortnightly body weight (g), average daily gain (g), total dry matter intake (g) and feed conversion efficiency did not differ (P<0.05) among the groups. The average digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre and nitrogen free extractives were significantly higher (Pd<0.05) in treatment groups as compared to the control group. The cost of production per kg weight gain (?) was 102.00, 99.41 and 91.94 in groups A, B and C, respectively. Therefore, it is concluded that the replacement of CSC in the concentrate mixture with WDGS is economically beneficial for goat rearing.